Dressage star Wallace’s blow for mule equality
THERE was a time when it looked like Wallace the Mule was destined for the shadows and not for the stars.
He faced what his trainer, Christie Mclean, called “equine racism” when British Dressage banned him from highlevel competitions that they claimed were open only to horses and ponies.
No more. After the ruling body conceded this month that mules would be allowed to compete as a testament “to inclusion and diversity in dressage”, Wallace made his debut in high-level competition yesterday.
In the British Dressage Quest Club competition, held at Summerhouse Equestrian, Gloucestershire, 11-yearold Wallace beat eight horse rivals, coming first in the intro class.
He scored 67.4 per cent in the competition and was rewarded with his favourite treats, Stud Muffins.
“We’ll be having a glass of bubbly this evening to celebrate the UK’S first mule in dressage,” Ms Mclean said. “There was a bit of everything and he blew them all out of the water. It is giving him a second chance to be somebody – it is about perseverance.”
Ms Mclean decided to fight for the mule’s right to be treated equally to a horse or pony after she spotted his talent. He did well in local competitions, so moving on to a higher level seemed a natural progression.
Ms Mclean, who is part of a dressage competition team, volunteered 14hand Wallace as a substitute because some horses had gone lame.
Speaking last month, she said: “I think it’s time for the rules to be changed. I don’t think that British Dressage would be bombarded by requests for mules.”
She said yesterday: “It is like a mule version of Babe the pig – Babe wanted to be a sheep dog, and Wallace is the mule that wants to be a horse. It is a double achievement – he’s made history for mules, and British dressage.” Wallace, who lives in Dursely, Gloucestershire, was found wandering in Ireland and rescued by the Donkey Sanctuary, where he was fostered by Lesley Radcliffe.